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pfsense:dns:local_dns_on_pfsense_everything_else_on_pihole

PFSense - DNS - Local DNS on PFSense, everything else on PiHole

Have Pi-hole resolve hostnames of DNS clients, and report by hostname rather than IP, then DNS queries should follow the path:

client -> Pi-hole -> pfSense -> Internet

Configure pfSense

Navigate to System → General Setup.

In System:

  • hostname: pfSense.
  • domain: localdomain.


In DNS Server Settings:

  • DNS Servers: Enter values for DNS Servers.
  • DNS Server Override: Not Checked:
  • Disable DNS Forwarder: Checked. This forces the firewall to use the DNS servers entered above.

Configure DNS Resolver

Navigate to Services → DNS Resolver → General Settings.

In General DNS Resolver Options:

  • Enable: Checked. This enables the DNS Resolver.
  • Network Interfaces: Select the Network Interface to apply. LAN and localhost.
  • DNSSEC: Checked.
  • DNS Query Forwarding: Not Checked.
  • DHCP Registration: Checked.
  • Static DHCP: Checked.

In Host Overrides:

  • Add systems with static IPs as Host Overrides.

NOTE: These should have the same domain as that specified in System → General Setup.


Configure DHCP

Navigate to Services / DHCP Server.

Select the Interface to configure, such as LAN.

In General Options:

  • Enable: Checked.

In Servers:

  • DNS servers: Enter the IP address of the Pi-hole.

In Other Options:

  • Domain name: Enter the same domain name as that specified in System → General Setup.

Configure Pi-hole

Navigate to Settings → DNS:

In Upstream DNS Servers:

  • Custom 1 (IPv4): Enter the IPv4 address for the LAN interface on your pfSense.
  • Custom 3 (IPv6): (Optional) If using IPv6 on the pfSense, then populate the IPv6 address for the LAN interface on your pfSense.

In Advanced DNS settings:

  • Never forward non-FQDNs: Not Checked.
  • Never forward reverse lookups for private IP ranges: Not Checked.

NOTE: Renew the DHCP leases on the clients.

The pi-hole server will automatically do reverse lookups on the clients.

Therefore the pi-hole should show the host names instead of IP addresses.

pfsense/dns/local_dns_on_pfsense_everything_else_on_pihole.txt · Last modified: 2022/09/29 08:29 by peter

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